Running on Empty

::  B P  O I L   S P I L L - G R A N D  I S L E, L A   ::

"Oil collecting at the mouth of one of the breeches on Elmer’s Island...
There were no clean-up crews in sight and no one for at least a mile in either direction."
~Richard Shepard, Aerial Photographer

I am grossly under-qualified to try to comment on this oil spill catastrophe yet when I heard it was going on its second month, it gave me pause. Another staggering stat I read last week is apparently the oil spilled so far would have fueled the United States for FOUR hours. WHAT? That's all?

When will it end? No one knows.

I came across Richard Shepard's site and his aerial images of this debacle are arresting--as are his first-hand accounts from talking w/the locals while documenting this disaster. Worth a visit.

How does this all works into a blog post? Well I love songs that have this 'on and on and on' vibe. A perpetual motion, if you will. And I have more friends than not, it seems, that are runners (crazy lot, those runners). So this post is a nod to them and hopefully a near-soon end to the tragedy in the Gulf.

Be well, All. ~Joy

TO DOWNLOAD tunes: right-click (pc) or control-click (mac)

the song title link in the page (vs the player at the bottom).

Jumping Someone Else's Train
The Cure
Mark my words: this it where all began (for me). 1984-ish. At Wittenberg. WUSO 89.1-FM. College radio. It started w/INXS  (see Beck track), and quickly led to The Cure. The Smiths. New Order. R.E.M. et all. 

Good Thing
The Wooden Tops
I was exposed to The Wooden Tops via a road trip from Springfield to Cincinnati (destination: a landmark Cinci Diner who's name I cannot recall. Suggestions welcomed.) Off the Giant LP. (okay, I had the cassette and played it to death) Every song was great. Very rhythmic. Fantastic lyrics here in Good Thing. Be sure to give an acute listen.

Brimful of Asha
Cornershop
Cornershop's got a fab ditty here. "Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow..." Yes, indeed.

Answer Yourself
The Soft Pack
Perfect words of advice to BP? Hell, for all of us truthfully. The Soft Pack will be at Del Mar Race Track (xo Lucy + Ned) in August. Would love to see them there, but guess I'll have to suffice for their Lolla gig. Not a bad Plan B.

Low
Cracker
I saw these guys on a triple bill at the Polaris Ampitheatre in the mid '90s with The Gin Blossoms and Spin Doctors-who, brace yourself-were the headliners. Yikes. Cracker. Stole. The. Show. Hearing this song live was special. You just caught all the subtle nuances of the guitar. 

Some Are Lakes
Land of Talk
I had never heard this tune/band but tuned into the Friday, June 4th CD101 Guest DJ session and it was a pick of Margot Heinlein's. I can't stop listening to it. It fits perfectly into my sound wheelhouse. Thank you, Margot + Lesley James!

Sweet Disposition
Temper Trap
High on my must see list at Lollapalooza this year is Temper Trap. I wish they were playing later on Sunday as I'd love to hear this song when the sun goes down because that's the color I see when I hear this song - burnt orange. My fave.

Get It
Rjd2
Little known fact I unearthed off iTunes: Rjd2 lived in Columbus, Ohio for a brief while. Fancy that.

Blessa
Toro Y Moi
I love Richard Armitage's Pitchfork article description: "Blessa...feels much like a summer's slumber..." which nails why this song is so Joy - I la la love summer like no other season.

Round and Round
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Odd this post is turning out so electronica skewed as categorically I'd say I'm a more Indie/Alt/Alt-Country fan--but here we are and this playlist is def suggesting otherwise. Hmmm.... Anyhow, does anyone else hear Ariel Pink's Elvis Costello-inspired vocals at 1:20? And, I love the "pick up the phone" + other lyrics droning on at the end.

Still Missing (Royksopp Remix)
Beck
This is a toss up: I love both the orig Guero LP + the Royksopp remix... And I love Beck Hansen even more due to paying homage to INXS (along w/St. Vincent, Liars, Os Mutantes...) INXS was mentioned above as their sound was so unique. So sad Michael Hutchence left us so early.

Sleep On The Bottom
Low, Transient Waves & Piano Magic
This very sleepy dreamy tune was found a while back on Motel de Moka. Yum. If you are a runner (and did in fact download this playlist for your run--see download directions above) I can only hope this plays when you are in your zone... and helps time pass by like waves of the ocean.

All My Friends
LCD Soundsystem
May this seven plus minutes of piano frenzy segueing to controlled chaos of clever lyrics paying tribute to life + growing old motivate you to keep on running. That run-on sentence was intended, btw. An epitome of the tune. :)

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I prayed heaven today
would bring its hammer down on me
and pound you out of my head
I can't think with you in it 

~Still Missing by Beck
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